Chelsea want Sasa Kalajdzic, a good deal?

Bengaluru, July 21: As per reports in England, Premier League giants Chelsea are interested in Stuttgart striker Sasa Kalajdzic as an alternative to Erling Haaland. The Blues have so far failed in their quest to land the Norwegian starlet from Borussia Dortmund.

Thomas Tuchel's side has reportedly had a swap deal for the 20-year-old involving Tammy Abraham and Callum Hudson-Odoi turned down by the Bundesliga giants and are said to be ready to turn their attentions elsewhere. And, Kalajdzic has reportedly emerged as their primary target.

Haaland is a generational talent and there are very few in this world better than him in the number nine role at the moment. Chelsea have reportedly identified Robert Lewandowski and Danny Ings as alternatives to Haaland but have not found much luck in either chase. And, the Blues are now said to be preparing a £34 million for Austrian international forward Kalajdzic.

The 24-year-old towering striker scored 16 goals in 33 Bundesliga outings for Stuttgart the last term. Thanks to his huge frame of 6 feet 7 inches, the Austrian international naturally excels aerially. While his physical stature might mean that he is more of a target man but the 24-year-old is far from an old school centre-forward. He is also quite comfortable on the ball and has what it takes to become a complete modern-day striker.

Kalajdzic started his career as a defensive midfielder and referred to former Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matić as his inspiration but as his career progressed, he was eventually moulded into a number nine.

Thanks to his height, he quite naturally excels in the air as we can see from his average of 2.4 aerial duels won per game last season in Bundesliga. But unlike a typical target man, he also excels on the ball and is pretty quick off the mark as well. The 24-year-old is also capable of playing as a number ten and even on either flank.

Having been priced out on a deal for Haaland, Chelsea are expected to wait until next summer when the Norwegian superstar becomes available for just £62 million as his release clause activates. And, that means that Kalajdzic might be seen as only a short-term fix but the striker should still be keen on a move to Stamford Bridge as such opportunities come once in a lifetime. And, for just £34 million, Kalajdzic might well prove to be the goalscorer Chelsea have lacked last season.